The Ohr Hachaim teaches us the secrets of the Torah, as alluded to in this possuk.
The Gemara says that Klal Yisroel is on a higher level than the angels.
The Zohar says that Hashem created four worlds, one above the other. These are mentioned in the possuk (Yeshaya 43:7) כֹּל הַנִּקְרָא בִּשְמִּי וְלִּכְבוֹדִּי בְרָאתִּיו יְצַרְ תִּיו אַף עֲשִּיתִּיו - every one that is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory. I have formed him, yes, I have made him. The first word to describe the creation is לִּכְבוֹדִּי – for my glory. This refers to the highest of worlds, the most spiritual of all that is known as עולם האצילות – the world of emanation. The next is called עולם הבריאה – the world of creation, alluded to in this possuk with the word בְרָאתִּיו. The third world is known as the עולם היצירה – the world of formation, and is mentioned in this possuk as יְצַרְ תִּיו – I have formed. The lowest level of all is the עולם העשייה – the world of action. This is where we live and act, and is referred to in Yeshaya as עֲשִּיתִּיו – I made it.
Hashem’s light shines through all of these worlds, and His holy name, of four letters, alludes to these worlds. The יו"ד is the world of emanation, the ה"ה is the world of creation, the וי"ו is the world of formation, and the ה"ה is the world of action.
The life force of all of these worlds is Hashem’s light.
Human life is also divided into four aspects. A person’s life force has four separate parts. They are called the נפש, רוח, נשמה, חיה – the desiring soul, the spirit, the breath, and the living. These, too, are in order of spiritual level and correspond to the four worlds. The highest level of all is the חיה, and it is sometimes referred to as the נשמה לנשמה – the soul of the soul.
The Ohr Hachaim adds that these four do not merely correspond to each other, but their essences are similar, and the four levels of the soul operate in four separate worlds. The Nefesh – the desiring soul, operates in the lower world of action. The more spiritual Ruach, which is the spirit, operates in the more spiritual world of formation.
